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Oregon's new Willamette River span will be designed to look like the St. Johns Bridge in North Portland. The $134 million bridge will carry public transportation, bicycles, and pedestrians -- but no cars. "It provides both the elegance of the St. Johns Bridge and the modernity of the cable-stayed idea, and it ends up being a unique bridge to Portland's collection of bridges," said Lloyd Lindley, chairman of the Portland Design Commission.

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"A bridge is about the future," says Miguel Rosales, a bridge designer. "You need to be excited about it." Many are excited about the proposed gracefully curved, hybrid suspension/cable-stayed bridge for Willamette, Ore., the first bridge in the U.S. that will carry light-rail trains, buses, bikes and pedestrians -- but no cars. However, the hybrid design will cost 10% to 15% more than a cable-stayed bridge, and the public needs to give its approval.

Oregon's new Willamette River span will be designed to look like the St. Johns Bridge in North Portland. The $134 million bridge will carry public transportation, bicycles, and pedestrians -- but no cars. "It provides both the elegance of the St. Johns Bridge and the modernity of the cable-stayed idea, and it ends up being a unique bridge to Portland's collection of bridges," said Lloyd Lindley, chairman of the Portland Design Commission.

Repairing the failing Trinity River levees in Dallas could be complicated by the sand discovered in nearby soil. The sand could also affect the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge piers and construction of the Trinity Parkway toll road. A report from the Army Corps of Engineers will be made public on March 31, and should detail the severity of the problem.

Composite Advantage, based in Dayton, Ohio, builds everything from walls to bridge decks with resin-reinforced fiberglass. The man-made composite material resists corrosion and lasts longer than other traditional materials such as steel and concrete. The company recently won the American Composites Manufacturers Association's Infinite Possibility Award.

Portland's first new bridge in 35 years won't allow cars, but will carry light rail, streetcars, buses, bicyclists and pedestrians. City planners have narrowed down the bridge design to three main contenders: cable-stayed, wave-frame girder and through arch. Whichever is chosen will need to be under $84.2 million and also provide 600-foot-wide space for barge passage on the Willamette River.